Disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, fires, or terrorist events pose a threat to company personnel. With global business, company personnel may be located anywhere in the world. When disaster strikes, the company must determine which employees require assistance and where to focus the assistance. If company records are in a central location, the disaster may destroy the records, preventing the company from knowing where its employees are. In addition, the disaster may disable the communications systems that would allow the employees to check in and notify the company of their status. The company needs to establish the status of their employees, but also needs to provide user status information to concerned third parties, such as families and loved ones. The company also needs a way to provide instructions and general information to the employees.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,262,666 to Lodichand, dated Jul. 17, 2001, Method Of And Apparatus For Individuals To Maintain A Trail Of Their Well Being And Whereabouts discloses a system in which location and/or well-being information is periodically entered by the individual and is transmitted to one or more central sites. When further location and/or well-being information is not received within a predetermined interval after the most recently reported location and/or well-being information is received, an automated voice response system attempts to contact the individual. If the automated contact fails to connect with the individual, a customer service representative pursues the attempt. After both failed attempts, an emergency message is then supplied to a prearranged emergency contact and the recorded location and/or well-being information, which has been kept strictly confidential up to this point, is released to the emergency contact.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,028,514 to Lemelson, deceased, et al., dated Feb. 22, 2000, Personal Emergency, Safety Warning System And Method discloses a comprehensive system and method for monitoring a geographic person location, periodically warning a person of emergency situations in the geographic location, and transmitting requests for assistance in emergency situations. The system comprises a warning unit that is carried by the person or that is located in mobile units or in buildings or houses. The system further comprises a command center, which includes a database computer having a database storage unit, a transmitter for broadcasting signals to the warning unit, a receiver for receiving signals, a transmitter for transmitting signals to emergency response units and centers, and other such communication devices.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,742,233 to Hoffman, et al., dated Apr. 21, 1998, Personal Security And Tracking System discloses a signaling system comprising a portable signaling unit, a remote alarm switch device, a central dispatch station, and a wireless communication system such as a cellular or telephone system, etc., and a GPS or alike system. When the person in distress activates the remote alarm switch or when the remote alarm switch is removed from the individual by a forceful or unauthorized action or when the signaling unit is removed from the proximity of the remote alarm switch, the portable signaling unit sends a data transmission which includes its location to the central dispatch station. The portable signaling unit can be remotely activated from a central dispatch station to determine and monitor the location of the portable signaling unit. The signaling system also allows the central dispatch operator to selectively establish two-way voice contact with the person carrying the portable signaling unit.
It would be desirable to have a disaster recovery virtual roll call and recovery management system that would overcome the above disadvantages.